Powder actuated tools are well known in the construction field for driving fasteners, such as nails, studs, or anchors, into a relatively hard supporting surface, such as concrete. Such tools utilize a piston for driving the fastener. The piston is typically driven by an explosive blank cartridge. Combustion gases generated from the cartridge drive the piston from a breechward positon to a muzzleward position to drive the fastener into the supporting surface.
Use of an explosive charge to fire the tool, obviously, creates noise which is undesirable. Additionally, the explosive charge will occasionally overdrive the fastener driving piston, a condition which occurs when the piston is driven past the piston return pawl and into the buffer. This always occurs when the operator forgets to insert a fastener into the muzzle of the tool, and can also occur occasionally at other times.